Waist level thinking and the F3

Near my home (2)

D
Near my home (2)

  • 2
  • 3
  • 54
Not Texas

H
Not Texas

  • 5
  • 0
  • 64
Floating

D
Floating

  • 4
  • 0
  • 31

Forum statistics

Threads
198,532
Messages
2,776,711
Members
99,638
Latest member
Jux9pr
Recent bookmarks
0

dugrant153

Member
Joined
Aug 21, 2010
Messages
419
Location
Coquitlam, B
Format
35mm
I have to say I love my F3. Recently I took it out for a spin with the waist level finder and loved how it made me more inconspicuous when doing street photography and discrete photography.

However, I find it very confusing to compose in reverse. My compositions don't end up how I want them. I see a scene but when I look down to focus and compose, I compose for the reversed image instead and it makes things... Well I notice it in my images.

Any suggestions as to how to "think" when composing and using a waist level finder in the F3? I'm always using the magnifier so I can focus correctly...
 

EASmithV

Member
Joined
Aug 22, 2008
Messages
1,984
Location
Virginia
Format
Large Format
Practice. Or use a view camera for a bit. it'll help.
 

Vilk

Member
Joined
Jan 15, 2008
Messages
515
Location
hegeso.com
Format
35mm
if anything, composing in reverse will improve your composition; learn to detach "composition" from "subject" and you may be on to something. just tonight, at AGO, an exhibition of 150 prints by Sudek, the curator never noticed that 3 were rotated 90 degrees on the wall--now that's composition, so obviously more important than the subject (which sudek, granted, never had, but that's another story). personally, i frequently flip the print upside down to judge composition...

anyway, all that assuming that by "composition" you don't mean the mechanical motion of training the camera onto the subject (in which case, apply b.i.d. for two weeks or until the symptoms recede)
 

BMbikerider

Member
Joined
Jul 24, 2012
Messages
2,937
Location
UK
Format
35mm
If you saw a composition you like 'in reverse' and providing there are no obvious words or numbers, why not print the negative back to front that way it will be the same as you say it.
 

AOCo

Member
Joined
Jan 2, 2013
Messages
68
Location
Bretagne
Format
Multi Format
I can only confirm : things improve over time. When I first used wlf on a medium format reflex, it was unsettling. Now it is completely natural. What's weird is when I occasionally pick a digital movie camera, with live view screen, it feels really wrong, all reversed.
 

thegman

Member
Joined
Feb 8, 2010
Messages
621
Format
Medium Format
Why not stop down a bit, and your DOF will increase, making critical focus less important?
 

cjbecker

Member
Joined
Dec 9, 2010
Messages
1,376
Location
IN
Format
Traditional
Once you do it long enought it feels right, a wlf is all I have really used for the last couple of years a now I can pan with them and it's normal. It's takes no adjusting in my brain to compose.
 

EKDobbs

Member
Joined
Jan 29, 2012
Messages
123
Location
NC
Format
Multi Format
I know how you feel. Sometimes I look into a WLF and think it's an interesting composure just because it's reversed from what my eyes are seeing. However, as a avid medium format junkie, I agree that you eventually learn to "reverse" your thinking with a WLF as opposed to a normal prism. Just takes time is all ;P
 

amac212

Member
Joined
Oct 8, 2008
Messages
92
Location
East Coast,
Format
Multi Format
if anything, composing in reverse will improve your composition; learn to detach "composition" from "subject" and you may be on to something.

I wholeheartedly agree. It won't take you long to get used the waist level view. (Not like a view cam's upside-down-and-backward). In fact... it will actually make composition easier, IMHO. Don't be surprised if you start to view it as the "right way" rather than the reverse. :smile:
 

MattKing

Moderator
Moderator
Joined
Apr 24, 2005
Messages
52,698
Location
Delta, BC Canada
Format
Medium Format
Just don't try to use the WLF for action scenes!
 

Spicy

Member
Joined
Oct 9, 2011
Messages
66
Format
35mm RF
someone on here said a few weeks back that they were having a tough time until they thought about "dragging the subject into the frame" as opposed to moving the frame to the subject. i tried thinking about it like that and it's been easier. i haven't done a TON of WLF shooting, but i've done a fair amount on my TLRs and most recently a few rolls with my F and 105/2.5 with the WLF
 
OP
OP

dugrant153

Member
Joined
Aug 21, 2010
Messages
419
Location
Coquitlam, B
Format
35mm
Thanks for all the tips :smile: Sounds like more practice is in order. I use a lot of thirds in my images ( or at least tend to) which may explain why I think the images are weird as my subject may be in the right third whereas I wanted them in the left third. However it seems to work out in the end somehow. Maybe I'm just over thinking it by trying to compose normally with my eyes then trying to redo it reversed in the wlf.

Action may be what I have to shoot! Doh! Guess a lot more practice is in order :smile:
 
Photrio.com contains affiliate links to products. We may receive a commission for purchases made through these links.
To read our full affiliate disclosure statement please click Here.

PHOTRIO PARTNERS EQUALLY FUNDING OUR COMMUNITY:



Ilford ADOX Freestyle Photographic Stearman Press Weldon Color Lab Blue Moon Camera & Machine
Top Bottom